"Varosok; the centre of creation. Where the world ended twice, and began thrice."— Excerpt from the poem, "The Journey of the World"
Varosok, also known as mount Varosok, and formerly as Varosok hold, is a volcano located in the north-western portion of
Zemet. It is the former capital city of the
Ormr nation of Zeryth, and is also the site where the First Country was established. When
The War broke out, a ring of mountains was erected around the site of Varosok in order to protect it from the encroaching red mist, which would come to be known as the
Holy Valley.
In the present day, Mount Varosok is considered the holiest site in the
Shahru religion; believed to be the location of a gateway to the Rukhmarite afterlife known as the Heaven of Flames. In addition, its base also serves as the site for the capital city of the
Vestaltir,
Flame's Providence, and its ruins are home to many Ashborn settlements. The actual structure of Varosok Hold is largely uninhabited, save for certain parts of it which have been built into the city of Flame's Providence. One such area is home to the Solar Spire; a palace repurposed to become the seat of
The Alight.
Geography
Mount Varosok is the tallest mountain in Pretheya and the largest individual outcrop of land on the continent; speculated by some scholars to be the largest on the planet. Its actual height has not been measured, but estimates made using geometric calculations have placed it as being somewhere around 12,000 metres above sea level at its peak. Numerous attempts to climb it have been made, but all have been forced to cease before reaching the 9,000m mark, owing to lack of oxygen. For this reason, details on the upper reaches of the volcano are sparse.
The base of Mount Varosok has a circumference of around 80 kilometres. The mountain is composed of a variety of different kinds of rock, but has been observed to be primarily granite-based at its lower levels. The levels of weathering on the rock are similarly very distinct; with rock at the base showing severe signs of erosion, while that of the middle level shows none at all. The base is speculated to spread under the entirety of the Holy Valley, but is covered in dirt below a certain elevation, making this difficult to prove.
A collapsed tunnel that formerly lead inside of the hold
Built For: The original
Wyrm polity of Zeryth
Height: Exact height unknown; speculated to be between 10,000-12,000m (32,808-39,370ft)
Constructed by: The
Ormr,
Fyrstbairn, and
Leskeln
Began Construction: Before the Law of Mortality
Finished Construction: At an unknown point during the First Country
Terraced farms upon the lower levels of Varosok
Mount Varosok's surface is extremely uneven, and does not resemble a smooth curve in any way as other mountains do. Unlike other natural mountains, much of its surface area consists of intentionally created plateaus and areas in which it has been smoothed out in order to allow plant life to take hold there. This has lead it to somewhat resemble the terraced farms of the Intersedrans in shape; albeit at a much larger scale.
This smoothing continues as the mountain's elevation rises and has lead to it having a much more navigable character than many other rock formations; in turn giving rise to ecosystems consisting of creatures that would not normally otherwise be able to navigate the heights of a mountain.
Appearance
"The scale of the Wyrms' work is impossible to comprehend by one who has not personally witnessed it. Looking upon the side of the former Great Hold is akin to staring out to sea from the top of a cliff; if only the sea were replaced with wrought, carved stone. The ruins that still remain amidst the exterior alone would likely be enough to house the entirety of Pretheya's population in the present day, with ample space for more."— Unknown
The lower portion of Mount Varosok up to the 1,000m level has largely been overtaken by the jungle around its base. Many of the granite platforms comprising its lower levels have small bushes and in some cases trees growing from the top of them, with vines draping down over their edges. At higher elevations, the ground clears, and fewer trees and vines are found; causing the area to open up significantly. Finally, the foliage upon the mountain gives way to barren rock at around the 7,000m mark. By 8,000m, the entirety of the mountain is covered in a mixture of snow and ice that never fully melt.
The most distinctive feature of Mount Varosok are the various works created by the
Ormr who once terraformed the mountain. The entire mountain's surface is littered with decorative works of
Permafrost on the mountain
all shapes, sizes, and forms; ranging from towers; to arches; to walkways; to palaces; to towering walls; all in varying states of disrepair. The base of Mount Varosok is littered with innumerable pieces of wreckage and detritus from these constructions, which have steadily amassed and become part of the ground layer over the millennia since the end of
The War. In the present day, the road system that was once used for travel around the mountain has remained largely intact and is still in use by the Ashborn people. In addition, the majority of Ashborn structures and buildings are constructed using pieces of stone that have fallen from the Ormr's creations on the mountain.
Ruins of First Country-era structures can be found all throughout the land immediately adjacent to Varosok's base
Interior
The inside of Varosok has been extensively hollowed out, and contains a labyrinthine assortment of rooms and connective tunnels from the days of the Wyrms. These are largely avoided by the Ashborn in the present day, owing to the fact that they are incredibly dangerous. One can very easily become lost in them and never find their way back out again, and this is a fate that has befallen no few foolhardy youths who sought to play inside of the mountain.
The interior of Varosok has been noted to be unlike that of any other hold. The insides of holds such as
The Granite Hold in Wyrmheim are largely devoid of any kind of human-sized furniture, save in areas specifically created for mortals to make use of, and are commonly decorated with enormous tapestries and carvings. Curiously, however, the lower levels of Varosok appear to contain tables, chairs, and other portable items. Certain rooms also show signs of having been renovated; with stone being significantly less worn or of a different patterning than elsewhere. By far the most peculiar aspect are the many human-sized rooms: Entire portions of the lower levels seem to have been designed for human habitation rather than by Wyrms.
The upper levels, however, more closely mimic that found in other Ormr works.
"It shall be a throne unlike any the world has ever before seen," said the Alight. "It shall serve to remind the people that I am the inheritor of the Firebird's will; and that Her magnificence transcends mortal works."
He glanced up at the towering archway before him, which was to become the entrance to the Solar Spire.
And when it is complete, none shall ever dare challenge the seat of Alight.
The majority of rooms are filled with carvings, statues, and other artistic works; but are built in ways that make them entirely useless for any kind of practical activity. It is speculated that these rooms designed purely to be aesthetic account for more than nine tenths of the space inside of Varosok Hold.
Present Day Usage
Varosok Hold is utilised by the Ashborn in a limited capacity. Various parts of its interior are used as warehouses to store goods in, eliminating the need to build storage facilities in villages. As well, many settlements have formed around the base of the hold, as its many rooms and sub-buildings still serve as perfectly good shelters from the elements. The only reason that more people do not live within them is that they are poorly positioned; in many cases lacking access to any source of drinkable water, and commonly are far away from food sources as well.
The main use of Varosok Hold is that the part of it which borders
Flame's Providence has been converted into
The Alight's palace. The renovated building has been re-painted orange and is now known as
The Solar Spire, and the head of the
Shahru faith and the theocratic ruler of
The Vestaltir - the Alight - now reigns from inside of it.
Ecosystem
The type of biome provided by Mount Varosok and the area of Holy Valley at large is the only one of its kind found anywhere in Pretheya. As such, it has developed a particularly unique local ecosystem, consisting of various animals, plants, and other niche organisms that both exhibit both biology and behaviours rarely found anywhere else on the continent.
The ecosystem of Holy Valley can be split into a number of distinct regions: That of the jungle that exists in the ring of space between the Pale Ridge and the base of Mount Varosok, the lowest parts of Mount Varosok up to around the 1,000m range, the middle portion of the mountain between 1,000m and 4,000m, and the high portion at 4,000m-7,000m. The presence of life above 7,000m has been speculated at, but not proven, and it is believed that the mountain above the 8,000m range is uninhabited.
Human habitation by the
Ashborn is primarily limited to the lower 1,000m range of the mountain, owing to the scarcity of food at higher elevations. Soil quality decreases further up the mountain, making agriculture impossible, and as such the only comestibles to be found are in the form of small hardy plants insufficient to feed a large population and animals that can be hunted.
Role Within Shahru
Mount Varosok is considered the holiest site within the Shahru religion. The source of its significance comes from its status as the home of
Rukhmar the Firebird: Varosok was the location at which the phoenix first appeared to the Ashborn and where she spent the majority of her time for the two centuries in which she resided within the Holy Valley. As such, it is considered to have tremendous spiritual significance.
Ever since the establishment of Shahru, individuals have travelled from all over the Rukhmarite world on pilgrimmages to Mount Varosok in order to see the place where the Firebird made her home. This behaviour is heavily encouraged by the Vestaltir, and it is said that all faithful should attempt to see the volcano at least once in their life. However, in truth, these pilgrimages are only accessible to a tiny portion of the Rukhmarite population; owing to the immense cost involved in taking a trip across thousands of miles to the Holy Valley where Varosok is located. Another limiting factor is the danger involved: In order to reach the volcano, one must first traverse the salt wastes of
Zemet; a task that is both extremely difficult and fraught with risk. Pilgrims travelling without a guide can easily stray from the path and lose their way among the shifting salt dunes, where they will die of thirst long before they find their way to any outpost. As well, unpredictable salt storms are a major threat that can be lethal to the unprepared. As such, anyone wishing to make the trip to Varosok must not only be wealthy, but brave as well.
Upon the mountain itself, there are various individual holy sites that one can visit. The first and most easily accessible is located at a height of only a few hundred metres, and is the location where
Lihwen the Hero and the
Band of the Phoenix first encountered the Firebird. The area has since been turned into a temple, and people will commonly visit to give thanks to Lihwen for saving Rukhmar.
Another, located at around four thousand metres, is a site near the mid-point of the mountain which was commonly used as a roost and eating place by Rukhmar. She would commonly drag prey caught in the vicinity up to her favoured spot, and then eat it there; and was additionally seen to stay there during the night from time to time. This spot is also high enough up that it allows one to see over the edge of the Holy Valley and out into the desert. This is the highest holy site that is commonly visited by normal folk, as the air beyond this point becomes difficult to breathe.
There is only one other site located higher than this, and it is Rukhmar's uppermost perch, located at around the 8,000 metre level of the mountain. Unlike the previous stop, there is no proper road to take visitors to this site, and instead, a treacherous and rocky mountain path must be followed to reach it. In addition, the air is so thin as to be unbreathable through normal means. As such, the majority of individuals who wish to see the holy site will travel up to the 6,000 metre mark on the mountain, and stop there. There is a point at this elevation from which it is possible with the aid of a magnifying lens to see the edge of Rukhmar's roost in the far distance, and many will make the trip with the purpose of seeing this sight, then turn around and return to the bottom of the mountain.
History
Varosok was one of the first major landmarks discovered by the Hundred during their exploration of the planet's surface. The wandering Ormr came across it only a short time after
Beginning their initial search for non-barren landscapes, and were amazed at its size, and how different it was from everything else they had seen thus far.
When the Ormr first discovered Varosok, the volcano was inactive, and so they initially just thought it was a peculiarly shaped mountain. This is why, in the present day, it is still known as Mount Varosok rather than Varosok Volcano.
The peculiar shape and open centre of the volcano intrigued the Ormr; who had never seen a hollow mountain before. Excavating rock was a time-consuming and dreary process for them at that time, and so the already-cleared centre of the volcano served as an attractive place in which to build. When the Ormr discovered how to utilise the Blessing of Creation, they met to decide what part of the planet would serve as the central meeting place for them to return at the end of their journey, and also what area they would most like to congregate their more complex developments in. They settled near unanimously on Varosok, and so the volcano became the de-facto capital of their people.
In the years after the
Fyrstbairn were created, the children of the Ormr rapidly developed a close attachment to Varosok. In one of an exceedingly few instances of the Ormr willingly allowing their creations to be destroyed prior to
The Law of Mortality, the Fyrstbairn received permission to significantly expand the volcano. They more than doubled the size of the base, which necessitated building over the gardens and other structures that had already been there, and then used this extra space as the foundation with which to increase the height of the walls around the caldera. In order to create a fitting monument for their new capital, the intent of the project was to create the largest mountain in the world.
The project took multiple centuries to complete, and work ended only when the Fyrstbairn became concerned that further upward growth would compromise the structural integrity of the central column of the volcano. Once the project to expand the mountain was finished, the Fyrstbairn took to decorating it; adding all sorts of towers, roads, and flat areas which they turned into gardens. This process continued throughout the rest of the pre-Law of Mortality era, and never truly finished; ceasing only when the Law was enacted and the Wyrms became preoccupied with other matters.
In the First Country
After the Law of Mortality was enacted,
The Deluge destroyed the majority of the Wyrms' creations upon the planet. The region of Zeryth where Varosok was located was spared, and this served to consolidate its importance to the Wyrms. Civilisation began to be rebuilt around the hold, and it came to serve a major role in the new post-Law world that the Wyrms created.
When the Wyrms discovered humanity after the Drepana, the First Country was established within the region of Zeryth with Varosok as its capital. Humans were allowed to live inside of the hold, and accommodations were created for them there alongside the converting of some gardens into farmland to support their needs. In return, they were tasked by the Wyrms with taking care of the various gardens and other works that they had created; performing necessary maintenance upon them to keep them in shape and prevent them from decaying in return for food and shelter.
After the War
At the breakout of the War, the
Leskeln unleashed the red mist, which swept through the region of Zeryth; transforming all that it touched into salt. In order to protect Varosok, the Ormr raised a circle of tall rock outcrops around the volcano, causing the mist to divert and go around it. The measure was a success, and left Varosok as the only part of Zeryth to be spared by the mist. In the years after the War, the ring of mountains came to be known as the Holy Valley by the Ashborn who lived there.
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